This will be a drive-by posting in my Good News Friday series because it’s a minute to Shabbat. I might edit this post and add details after Shabbat if I have time.

Siyum Hashas in NY Stadium

This week saw the worldwide Siyum Daf Yomi (literally: finalizing the Daily Page) – the final session of learning a page of Gemara (Talmud) a day. The cycle takes 7½ years and when the cycle is finished Jewish communities everywhere hold festive celebrations.

The Jewish Press writes about a huge siyum which took place in a New York stadium, attended by 90,000 people! Elder of Ziyon has a lovely post about it too, with pictures.

My husband and new son-in-law-to-be went to a Siyum Hashas in my elder daughter’s town, where her husband (son-in-law #1) gave a Dvar Torah as one of the regular teachers of Daf Yomi. We are very proud of him.

From the sublime to the (non) ridiculous, Atlantic magazine has an article analysing Israel’s economic success, taking as its starting point Mitt Romney’s comment while he was in Israel that Israel’s success, especially compared to the Arabs, was a cultural thing. The Atlantic agrees that culture is involved, but there is more to Israel’s success than that. They give 4 reasons for this success.

2 Responses to Good News Friday

I have thought about keys for economical success during my stays in Egypt and Algeria for some week this year (Incidentally reason for my abscence here – my daughter checked quite regulary your pages for me ). I have been working with young people for some weeks, many of them young women( more n Algeria honestly ). Apart from professional knowledge relating to my job, it was a very interesting experience. Some people are eager of knowledge on social and economic issues and international sources are currently investigated . Lack of freedom prevents people from discussing each other- at least in Algeria – and the gap between you can read on internet and everyday reality around you is dizzyingly deep.
Everybody knows this but living this reality is another thing.Shocking contrast with Israel situation has a lot of answers but when you have to take remedial actions there your feeling is a strong frustration.

Wow, your little hints about your life are most intriguing, Andrea! They sound like something out of James Bond. :-D. I’m delighted and honoured that you like my blog enough that you get your daughter to check it for you in your absence.

Speaking seriously, what you write about life in Algeria extremely interesting. It seems it is a microcosm of the entire Middle East (besides Israel) and its distorted culture, which is holding it back from full development and participation in the 21st century. And I can understand the frustration that you and all Westerners feel about the situation. We feel this too in Israel, because it is this cultural gap that no only impedes economic progress in these countries, but it also prevents real peace from breaking out between Israel and its enemies.